Method of connecting cables and wires



Nov. 3 192i;a

. 1,559,668 H. M. aRowN ET AL l METHOD OF CONNECTING CABLES AND WIRESFiled April 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet .L

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H. M. BROWN ET AL IETHOD OF CONNECTING CABLES AND WIRES rilad'npril v,192s 2 sheets-shut 2 w s-a gf rig. 2';

Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

HAROLD M. BROWN AND WILLIAM BROWN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

-METHOD OF CONNECTING CABLES AND WIRES.

Application filed April 7, 1923. Serial No. 830,450.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, HAROLD MpBRoWN, a subject of the King of England,and AWIL- LIAM Gr.. BROWN, a former subject of the 5, King of Denmark(who has forsworn his allegiance to said King of Denmark and declaredhis intention of becoming a citizen'of the United States and thereforeis notI now a citizen or subject of Aany country), and residents of thecity of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and 'useful Improvements in Methods of ConnectingCables andWires,

`of which .the following is aJ specification.

' Our invention, relates to devices for connecting cables and wires, andmore particularly for connecting electric cables, wires and the like,and its main object is to provide a novel method and novel means forlocking, holding, and securing electric cables, wires or any otherelectric connecting means, in electric connection without the use ofscrews, wbolts or similar fastening .25 means, or yany solderingprocesses. I

Another object is to construct said device so that the locking or`securing means may readily be released for quickly. disconnecting saidcables or wires. i

Another object is to rovide a quick and simple method and means forlocking or securino and for unlocking or releasing said llectrlcconnections and Iseparating the caes. Y 85 @ther objects willappearhereinafter.

' Theinvention consists in the combination. and arrangements of partshereinafter ldescribed and claimed. j s

The invention will be best understood by reference to theaccom'panyingdravvin forming a partiag this specification, and 1n which, y v l Fig. 1isa plan view'of one form improved connecting dev-ice;

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewV taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and also -showsa suitable punch for depressing the metal plug with Athe connected'wires; t' Fig. 3 shows an'enlarged section on l of our Fig. 4 shows `a'vievv like Fig. 3 but with the "wires entering fromthe 'same side instead of theopposite sides of said device;

ig`..5.is a sectional view cfa' modified F Fig. 6 is a view taken online 6-6 of iig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another modified form; l

Fig. 8 isa cross sectional view-taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a. perspective view of still .another modified formofconnecting device.

Our connecting device in either form comprises a member which isprovided with an 'opening for receiving exposed portions of electricconductors and placing said conductbrs in electric connection. Saidexposed portions may include an intermediate portion of one conductorjoined by an end portion of anotherconductor. as shown in Fig.y v5;ortwo exposed ends placed into the end of a metallic sleeve located in aninsulated outer member and thereby joined electrically, as shown in Fig.7 or two'ends may be joined by overlapping said ends as shown in Fig. 3,or by crossing said ends in the' connecting member as shown in Fig. 9;but in each form the wires are connected electrically in an openingprovided in said ccnnecting member. Said connecting members arepreferably madeof non-conducting or insulating composition, and theexposed portions of the conductors are directly connected therein or ina metallic sleeve mounted therein, but said members may also be made ofmetal to -form thc electric connection Lfor conductors which are notplaced in direct engagement. i

In'the form of o urinvention illust ated in Figs. 1 and 2 the connecting"member 12 which receives the electric conductors isshown long andangular and is provided with ,a plurality of similar cable-receiving.

openings 13 whichextend laterally therethrough.

Each of said openings 1s intersected by anopening 14 which extendsverti-v caliy` through member 12, and a lug or member 15 of soft orpliablefmetal li e Bab-' y.bit o r'lead is mounted in the upper end ofeachopening 14, in` communication with opening 13, and in positionto vbeengaged by aj suitable member or means and pressed down'. in' opening 14and partly 'spread across .opening 13. The electric conductors or cables16 and 17 have theirlexposed l'por-' tions or ends 16 an d.17connectedi-the pening .1B- and ma;r be Iintroduced'from opposite endsintojsaid opening and ,over-' lapped therein as shown in Fig.' 3,'ormaybe 5 of our device, the exposed pdrtions of a pl'ulaid' tog-etheryvand placedn in said from one end as shown in Fig. 4.j

To lock the electric conductors in both opening `electric and*mechanical connection by means rality of electric conductors are placedin opening 13 nd. joined across the opening 14, as best illu rated. inFigs. 3 and 4. The plug or member l@ which is mounted at the 1.0upper'or outer end of vopening 14 is then pressed down upon theconnected portions of said conductors, and since'the metal of Vsaid plug15 is slightly softer than the copper wires of the conductors it ispressed 15 around the same, and the engaged parts 16? and 17 o'f'saidconductors are depressed into the lower part of said o-pening 14, the

'l lower part of'sadplug spreading across opening 13. anchoringitself'therein, while 20 'the'upper part of said plug remains in opening14, thus forming a strong and secure electricand mechanical connection.

Any suitable means may be used for de# 'i' pressing the'plug and engagedparts of the 25 conductors, but the particularly construct ed form ofdevice or punch 18 shown in Fig. 2 `is especially suited and-adapted forthis purpose. .It is provided'with a finger orvpm k 19 on one jawexactly lfit-ting into the opening 14 for. depressing the plug andengaged /parts of the conductors and `'is of a length to depressa plugQnly the'v proper distance .in the upper part of said opening 14 toleave the Aupper part of said pluganchored 1n said opening.A A stub pin20 which also -ting withdrawal of said portionsfrom fits in said opening14 is placed on the other jaw of the punchfto` properly aline thefiristantially into their original positions, with' out'breaking' orinjuring them, and permitme'mber12.

In Figsf vand 6 we have shown-a. form of device for connecting'or teenga. branch ormnor cable onto a main cable. In this form the connectingmember 22 is-substantially cylindrical and is provided. with a mainopening 23, preferably in the form of a slot as shown in Fig. 6, forreceiving anl exposed intermediate portion .24 of a cable 25, and has asmaller opening 26 which in-. tersects said main opening at a-slant andvreives the exposedA end' 27 of a minor cable`27`e`nropening28...extends through 5 said member and through 'the itersecticn vof.said openings 23 and '26, 1and a plug vor member 29 of pliable metal ismounted-in the upper end of said opening28v inposition to be pressedupon conductor portions 2 4 and 27T and to depress the intersectingparts 24 and 27 thereof into opening 28, said conductor portionsbeing'thus securely lockedk together inv said member, Said conductorsare released or unlocked by forcing parts 24 and 27 yand with them theplug 29 back into their former positions, preferably by means of a punchand in the manner described above in the disclosure of the precedingform.

In Figs. 7 and.8 we have illustrated a form particularly adapted forconnecting vthe separated ends of conductorsin alinement. In this formthe connecting member 30 is composed of insulating material and has ametal sleeve 31 mounted in the-opening 32 which extends longitudinallythrough said member. The cables '33 and 34 have their ends 33 and34placed in the ends of said sleeve and pliable metal plugs 35 areplaced in the upper ends |of openings 36 -which extend through saidsleeves and said member'at .each end and intersect the inner opening inthe sleeve, said .plugs being def pressible upon the inserted ends oftheconf ductors to depress portions of saidends into the/.lower parts ofsaid openings 36 and lock said ends firmlyfin lectrlc and mechanicalconnection in sai-d device, as shownl at the' right-hand side ofiFig. 7,and in the mannerdescr'ibed abov In Fig; 9, is showna connecting member40 which is cubical in form and has an opening extending fromeach sideto the o posite -side of the member, providing t ree openings whichintersect at an intermediate point, two of said openings, 41"and 42,-receiving the ends 43 and 44' of cables V43 and 44, which cross at theintersection Vof said openings. A plug of'pliable-metal 45 is placed-atone end of the third opening 46 and is forced onto the intrsedtingpartsof portions 43 and 44 to *depress said parts into locking position inthe free part .of opening 46 secure said cables 1n said member; and isreleasedor unlocked as out'- lined above.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form.- ofconstruction for carrying our invention into etect,fthis is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the'spirit vofthe'invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set i forth, but desire to avail ourselves ofsuch variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure 'by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of sect1-ing. cendacwrs'f' prises placing portions of'saidconductors in a retaining member having -intersectingopenings, and thenpressing soft metal upon said portions within said openings to lock saidconductors in position so that said metal a'nd portions may be pressedback for withdrawing saidv conductors. l

2. The method of securing electric conductors in electric connection andto permit convenient releasing and separating of said conductors, whichmethod comprises placing exposed portions of said conductors in aretaining member havin@r intersecting openings, then pressing pliableelectricity conducting metal through one of said intersecting openingsonto the adjacent conductor and therewith depressing-said conductor downin said' opening, in a position to be conveniently pressed back forwithdrawing .said conductor.

3. The method of securing electric conductors in electric connection.and to permitl` convenient releasing and separating of sald conductors,which method comprises placing exposed portions of said conductorstogether in a'retaining member and across an opening extending throughsaid retaining member then pressing pliable electricity conductingmetal-through one part of said opening onto and around said joinedconductor portions, and depressing said portions into another part'ofsaid openin in position to conveniently press back sai exposed portionand metal for withdrawing said conductors from said member.

- 4. The method of securing yelectric conductors in .electricconnection, which comprises placin exposed portions of said conductorstoget er 1n a retainin member and across an opening extending laterallthrough said member, then pressing so t metal through one end of saidopening around said ]oined portions by means of a l punch having a pinfitting in said opening, and thereby depressing said connected portionswith the engaging metal toward the other end of said opening.

In testimony whereof we have-signed our 50 names to this specification.

G.. BROWN. HAROLD M. BROWN.

